GettoKnowYou–PersonalityastheKeytoProductivity

Get to Know You – Personality as the Key to Productivity

We’re all different – different background, interests, jobs, drives… the list goes on. The one thing that unites us all is the time we have in a day, meaning that the question of how we can spend our time most efficiently is one many of us face.

The answer to this, however, is obviously not universal. Looking around the office, it’s easy to see that what works for one person simply won’t for the next.

This is all down to our personality types.

A study by Comsats Institute of Information Technology found that in a study of 10,000 individuals, the personality of an employee plays an ‘important role’ in the performance of employees. They also suggest that executives should better acknowledge employee personality in their change processes for more productive processes.

Social Introverts: Much like the common understanding of introversion – these tend to like time alone and socialisation in small groups.

Thinking Introverts: Whilst thinking introverts don’t have a particular aversion to social events, these are the people that are particularly introspective and get lost in their own thoughts.

Anxious Introverts: A lot to do with awkwardness, anxious introverts tend to feel anxious around others, and often when they’re alone.

Restrained introverts: Often moving at a slower pace, restrained introverts tend to think a lot before they act.

On the other side of the scale, of course, there’s the extroverts. These might feel fairly familiar in the sales environment. These are the people that not only don’t mind being the centre of attention, but actually feel energised in the prescience of lots of people. Like introverts, this type of person has been divided by Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience into two types:

Affiliative extroverts: your warm and friendly type, affiliative extroverts find it easy to break the ice and valuing a large group of friends

Beyond that, of course, the middle of the scale exists. That’s where your ambiverts come in. These make up most of the population, being socially comfortable and interactive while valuing a good amount of alone time.

All in all, finding out where you fit (or how much of each of these you identify with) can be really crucial when it comes to owning our productivity. Just because your not an agentic extrovert, it doesn’t mean you can’t ace your calls, it just means you need to know how to feel most engaged in light of your productivity type to get the most out of your work.

How do we use this to get productive?

Introverts

For introverts, it is firstly vital to control your environment. Offices are generally designed for collaborative work and are therefore simply not suitable for everyone. Remember this and be sure to carve out the quiet or solo work that you need. And for larger meetings, preparation is key to avoid having to navigate large social setting with too much spontaneity.

Whilst making time to work on your own can add real value to an introverts day, working in pretty much any business means collaborative work is sometimes inevitable. It’s good to remember that large group projects and huge events can add difficulty (and therefore unproductively) to the workday of introverts. Working in smaller groups when possible and focussing on more intimate conversations can often be a good way for introverts to function at their most productive.

Beyond that, it’s important to remember that introverts have much different work styles – preferring to focus and deep dive into one project. It’s therefore valuable to accept this, not becoming frustrated when multiple shorter projects feel challenging – everyone has their strengths.

Extroverts

On the other hand, extroverts love the get-up-and-go and can really produce their best work in a fast-paced environment. For them, it’s important to nurture that and avoid complete silence and long-term solitude. That means immersing yourself amongst the buzz of the office environment and enjoy the drive that working alongside busy and diligent colleagues that can drive, motivate and share the rush.

It is however important to remember that the business that extroverts look makes them much more vulnerable to the burn out. Enjoy the buzz, but know when the to-do list is at max capacity – don’t forget quality in the rush.

It’s also important to make time amidst the schedule to schedule some time in the diary to reflect and slow down. After all, when it comes to productivity, there is little point in carrying on without evaluating what you’ve done so far.

On the other hand, extroverts will always need to… well, be extrovert. Remember the importance of getting the time you need to be you by carving out time for social interaction – the stuff that makes you tick. This could be a lunch with the team or a quick coffee with friends. Whatever it is, once you’re socially satisfied, the drive to get more work done can be significantly easier.

Ambiverts

For ambiverts on the other hand – the majority of the population – balance is key. This means getting the most out the buzz of a social environment, whilst putting real value on the quieter parts of the day to reflect and spend time with your own thoughts.

All in all, the most important lesson to be learned is that supporting your own personality preferences will enable you stay motivated, nurtured, contented, and therefore, much more engaged. It’s simple: cultivating an environment where you feel good will show in the work you produce.

Whilst this is true, it of course remains important to remember to mix up your day – even the most introverted of people need to spend some time in the company of others. And for extroverts, the value of time spent alone, to focus and reflect is not to be undermined.

Most importantly, balance is key, and whether you’re an affiliative extrovert or an anxious introvert, both good socialisation and solo time are important for both a healthy mind and a productive workflow.

When it comes to the office, working to nurture your own personality type is crucial in maintaining an engaged, healthy and happy workflow, all day – the true key to productivity.

To find the full guide to recruitment habits, as well as other areas of productivity, you can download our full ebook on Recruitment Productivity Hackshere.

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SourceBreaker’s Recruitment Productivity Hacks offers a conclusive guide to help you supercharge output, drive revenue and deliver a high-value service with maximum efficiency, everyday. This includes:

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